Environmentalism

From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)

Environmentalism is the support of or involvement with the environmental movement by environmentalists.

It is a social movement which seeks to influence the political process by lobbying, education, activism and setting an example in order to protect natural resources and ecosystems. They can also promote alternative ways or social change in society with day by day actions. Some of the issues of concern for the environmental movement are pollution, species extinction, waste reduction, recycling, the threat of global warming and ozone depletion, and genetically engineered crops.

1 Environmental organizations
2 Debates within the Environmentalist Movement
3 External Criticisms of the Environmentalist Movement
4 Books about environmentalism (nonfiction)
5 Environmentalism in fiction
6 Environmentalism in music
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit]

Environmental organizations

See also List of environmental organizations and Category:Environmental organizations

This is a huge number of environmental organizations, organizations that preserve, analyze or monitor the environment in different ways. Environmental organizations can be global, regional, national or local; they can be government-run or private (NGO). Many countries have organizations that address general and specific environmenental issues at a local or national level.

Greenpeace is the most prominent international organization, and lobbies on a wide range of environmental issues. Other international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund have specific areas of concern.

[edit]

Debates within the Environmentalist Movement

Since the dawn of the 21st century with the growth of the environmental movement, which includes now several "streams"and organisation of the political ecology, there has been an increase in internal debates of the Environmentalist movement.

Such landmark essays including "The Death of Environmentalism" and "Environmental Heresies" by Stewart Brand. In light of new ideas, new problems, and increasing political irrelevency, it is unsure as to whether it will lead to a schism in the movement, a renaissance, or a reaffirmation of its traditional stances.

There is strong debate among Environmentalists on the following topics.

Urbanization: Traditionally, cities have been seen by Environmentalists as a major source of pollution, and dangerous in its lack of harmony with nature. However, there are some who believe that the Environmentalist movement should embrace the vertical orientation of population, and have shifted criticism towards suburban sprawl.

Nuclear Power: Among its harshest critics, nuclear power has long been associated with extremely harmful waste and potential disaster. But Environmentalists such as Stewart Brand have advocated nuclear power as being atmospherically clean, and argue that it is significantly safer than it was 50 years ago.

Genetic Engineering: In light of new genetic technologies, it may be possible to engineer both cattle and agriculture to sustain higher yields with less waste. However, there is a great deal of cynicism about technology in the Environmentalist movement, with genetically modified foods raising a great deal of concern in particular.

Hunting: The rights of animals have long been associated with the Environmentalist movement. However, other Environmentalists argue that there can be a powerful coalition with hunters and fishers who enjoy a safe, clean, and protected wilderness. They also note that individual hunters are less of a threat to the biosphere than more systemic abuses. However, for many environmentalists, cooperation with hunters and fishers simply goes against their fundamental principles.

Partisanship: Critics have noted that the current strategy of supporting individual candidates with strong environmental credentials is ineffective if that candidate is part of a political party that is largely anti-environment. Others are reluctant, however, to suggest that this means they should unconditionally support a rival political party, especially since what is generally true of a party is not true of all its members. There are also concerns that partisanship may saturate the goals of the environmentalist movement with other goals of that political party, and otherwise undermine the legitimacy of the cause.

[edit]

External Criticisms of the Environmentalist Movement

Most detractors of the environmentalist movement argue that the evidence of problems cited by environmentalists are not scientifically sound. There are also many concerns that the solutions advocated by environmentalists are not practical, and may actually do more harm than good.

Some see environmentalism as having many of the same characteristics as a Religion including a paradise, a fall from grace, a salvation, and a judgment day, among others. Some environmental groups have been accused of using sensationalist tactics and misinforming the public instead of deferring to scientific evidence. Environmentalists are also sometimes accused of advocating anti-globalization and anti-corporatization, idealism which some say is detrimental to achieving environmental objectives.

[edit]

Books about environmentalism (nonfiction)

Walden by Henry David Thoreau is sometimes credited as the seminal work in American Literature which launched the environmentalism movement in America.
(1864)Man and Nature by George Perkins Marsh
Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run by David Brower
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson 1962
The War Against the Greens by David Helvarg (1994)
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough, Michael Braungart
The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Confessions of an Eco-Warrior by Dave Foreman
Going Green: How to Communicate Your Company's Environmental Commitment by E. Bruce Harrison
The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjørn Lomborg
Ecodefense: A Guide to Monkeywrenching edited by Dave Foreman
Return of the Primitive (The philosophy of Privation) by Ayn Rand and Peter Schwartz
From the Ground Up by Luke W. Cole & Sheila R. Foster
The Legacy of Luna by Julia Hill is about a tree sit done by the author that lasted for two years.
365 Ways to Save the Earth by Philippe Bourseiller is committed to communicating the beauty and wonder of our world, and illuminate the importance of preserving the environment.

[edit]